Beauty sleep: Healthy, good-looking women get itAlexandria Town TalkPost-menopause, women are at greater risk for sleep apnea, the disorder in which sleepers unknowingly choke for air. Women who have children at home tend to have more sleep issues than women with no children in the household, according to the National …and more »

Avoid smoking
Don't smoke–period!! Can cause increased nasal congestion and mucous in the throat area. Breathing through the nose is more effectual way to bring air into the lungs than mouth breathing.

Reduce alcohol intake
Alcohol can cause relaxation in the soft tissues and muscles in the throat. This will result in snoring or sleep apnea.

Sleep on your side
Sleep on your side, it makes the snoring a little lower.

I have experienced sleep apnea?

Let me explain, my whole life I've never had the best time trying to sleep or even sleeping without having some f*cking nightmare or now this not breathing crap.

Anyways, first was two years ago at a friends house, I woke up, fell back asleep, but whenever I felt my eyes roll in the back of my head, I immediately stopped breathing. And I had to wait 10 painful seconds to wake up each time because my eyes hadn't moved back yet. This happened 5 more times, eventually by the grace of god I feel asleep.

Then a year later I was sleeping when suddenly I felt myself not breathing and the worst part was I could not wake up, so there I lied, feeling like I'm about to die from something absolutely stupid. Constantly gasping for air, half asleep and half awake, the most painful night of my life next to the latter.

So what I want to know is, how bad do I have it? What should I do? I've told my parents, haven't done anything. And most importantly, am I going to die from this f*cking sh*t?

Posted by Zack

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Sleep apnea causes and risk factors
Anyone can have sleep apnea—young, old, male, female, and even children can suffer. However, certain risk factors have been associated with obstructive and central sleep apnea.

Risk factors for obstructive sleep apnea
You have a higher risk for obstructive sleep apnea if you are:

overweight
male
over the age of 65
black, Hispanic, or a Pacific Islander
related to someone who has sleep apnea
a smoker

Other risk factors for obstructive sleep apnea include certain physical attributes, such as having a thick neck, deviated septum, receding chin, or enlarged tonsils or adenoids. Allergies or other medical conditions that cause to nasal congestion and blockage can also contribute to sleep apnea.

Risk factors for central sleep apnea
Like obstructive sleep apnea, central sleep apnea is more common in males and people over the age of 65. However, unlike obstructive sleep apnea, central sleep apnea is often associated with serious illness, such as heart disease, stroke, neurological disease, or spinal or brainstem injury.

Self-help treatment for sleep apnea
While a diagnosis of sleep apnea can be scary, it is a treatable condition. In fact, there are many things you can do on your own to help, particularly for mild to moderate sleep apnea. Home remedies and lifestyle modifications can go a long way in reducing sleep apnea symptoms.

Lifestyle changes that can help sleep apnea
Lose weight. Even a small amount of weight loss can open up your throat and improve sleep apnea symptoms.
Quit smoking. Smoking is believed to contribute to sleep apnea by increasing inflammation and fluid retention in your throat and upper airway.
Avoid alcohol, sleeping pills, and sedatives, especially before bedtime, because they relax the muscles in the throat and interfere with breathing
Avoid caffeine and heavy meals within two hours of going to bed.
Maintain regular sleep hours. Sticking to a steady sleep schedule will help you relax and sleep better. Apnea episodes decrease when you get plenty of sleep.
Bedtime tips for preventing sleep apnea
Sleep on your side. Avoid sleeping on your back, as gravity makes it more likely for your tongue and soft tissues to drop and obstruct your airway.
Try the tennis ball trick. In order to keep yourself from rolling onto your back while you sleep, sew a tennis ball into a pocket on the back of your pajama top. Or wedge a pillow stuffed with tennis balls behind your back.
Prop your head up. Elevate the head of your bed by 4 to 6 inches or elevate your body from the waist up by using a foam wedge. You can also use a special cervical pillow.
Open your nasal passages. Try to keep your nasal passages open at night using a nasal dilator, saline spray, breathing strips, or a neti pot.
Throat exercises to reduce sleep apnea
Studies show that throat exercises may reduce the severity of sleep apnea by strengthening the muscles in airway, making them less likely to collapse.

Press tongue flat against the floor of mouth and brush top and sides with toothbrush. Repeat brushing movement 5 times, 3 times a day.
Press length of tongue to roof of mouth and hold for 3 minutes a day.
Place finger into one side of mouth. Hold finger against cheek while pulling cheek muscle in at same time. Repeat 10 times then rest and alternate sides. Repeat sequence 3 times.
Purse lips as if to kiss. Hold lips tightly together and move them up and to the right the up and to the left 10 times. Repeat sequence 3 times.
Place lips on a balloon. Take a deep breath through your nose then blow out through your mouth to inflate balloon as much as possible. Repeat 5 times without removing balloon from mouth.

Are there Philippine doctors specializing in remedies for apnea?

My expat friend can hardly sleep, pounding away on his keyboard. He seemed so angry. My research tells me he might be suffering from a sleep disorder called apnea. Help, he needs to be cured, or he might just burn out.
@twin brah : while you were sleeping, the expats were accusing you left and right of cloning them, I had to rise in the mid of the night to defend our family's honor, to show them you have not been annihilated, as they were all declaring. Pretty much like Gaddafi's son has been captured, only to later show himself in public. Nice of you to show your handsome face.

Posted by Bhuwisit

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I had sleep disorder before, and I went to Medical City (in Mandaluyong). There, I was ordered by the doctor to stay for the night in a room that resembles most bedrooms. Not a typical hospital suite. It was designed to be restful because the tests are done to monitor sleeping habits, breathing, etc under normal conditions. To best approximate normal conditions, the patient can even sleep with his/her spouse.

The only difference versus sleeping at home is that there are wires attached to the different body parts. A technician is on duty in a one-way booth (you are told about this beforehand). Like a CT Scan, several indicators are monitored, all relating to sleeping.

I forgot the doctor's name. But definitely, with such facility, they would have the best sleep disorder doctors in the country.